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Spain: 4 die in Catalonia wildfire, smoke reaches Barcelona

(ANSAmed) - Madrid, July 23 - Three French nationals died on
Sunday while attempting to escape from a wildfire in the Costa
Brava area of northeast Spain near the border with France.The
victims included a 60-year-old man and his 15-year-old daughter
who died after jumping into the sea. Another French national
died of burns in hospital.

On Monday morning the civil protection department said a
thick cloud of smoke had reached Barcelona.
The blaze broke out at around 19.30 local time in the
mountains surrounding Portbou and quickly spread to 17
municipalities in Alt Epordà, south of Girona and in Marasme.

So far it has reportedly destroyed over 13 hectares of
vegetation and is still out of control.
On Sunday around 200 people trapped between the flames and
the cliffs near the border fled on foot after abandoning their
vehicles, civil protection sources said. During the flight a
French family of five fell onto the cliffs at Portbou; father
and daughter died in the accident while the mother sustained
injuries to a shoulder and the two younger children remained
unhurt.
The third victim died in a road accident involving multiple
vehicles as tourists tried to get away. A further 10 people were
wounded in the crash, of whom 4 are in a serious condition.